FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known mower, typically referred to as a mid-mount Z type mower. The mid-mount Z mower of FIG. 1 includes a pair of rear drive wheels 43 each of which is driven by a hydro (hydrostatic or hydraulic) pump so that two pumps are provided, steering levers 15, 16, frame 17, cutter or mower deck assembly 12 below which the blades cut grass, operator seat 18 for a seated operator, gas tank 19, combustion engine 20 located behind the seat, and front caster wheels 37. The mower is a zero radius turning self-propelled power lawn mower, and includes first and second hydro pumps (not shown) for controlling first and second corresponding wheel motors (not shown), so that the first and second independently driven rear drive wheels 43 may be driven independently in order to conduct zero radius turns.
In the prior art type mower of FIG. 1, the combustion engine 20 has a shaft (not shown) which extends downwardly therefrom and drives pump and cutter deck belts (not shown). The hydro pumps (not shown) and the engine 20 are conventionally mounted on the same plane of the engine deck; with the hydro pumps being driven by an upper belt/pulleys and the cutting blades being driven by a lower belt/pulleys. Unfortunately, this results in a mower with a fairly high center of gravity, because both the engine 20 and the hydro pumps are mounted on the same plane and this common plane is at a fairly high elevation relative to the ground. Thus, this conventional mower suffers from a lack of traction on hillsides and from other problems which will be apparent to those skilled in the art which result from a high center of gravity.